David and Victoria Beckham attend King’s glittering state banquet for the Emir of Qatar

David and Victoria Beckham were among tonight’s guests at a glittering state banquet in honour of the Qatar royals.

King Charles and Queen Camilla on Tuesday hosted a lavish reception for the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the first of his three wives, Sheikha Jawaher, who are in the country for a two-day state visit.

It is understood that former England star David was invited because of his role as an ambassador for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

He was seated next to Naseer Al-Khelaifi, a Qatari businessman and President of French football club PSG – where Beckham, now 49, ended his high-profile career – ensuring the two men had much to talk about.

Perhaps mischievously on his right was new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, also attending her first State Banquet.

Beckham, it should be noted, also played right wing.

Former Spice Girl Victoria – sealing her stratospheric rise from pop stardom to the seat of power – was sat even closer to the ‘top table’ than her husband on the right hand side of the horse shoe-shaped dining table.

She had The Lord Levy on her left – appropriately not only a peer but a former CEO of a large group of independent music companies – and Lord Darzi, knighted for his services to medicine and surgery, on her right.

The seating plan is organised by Buckingham Palace’s Master of the Household’s Department in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who fund the State Visit.

And it will surely add only fuel to the fire of speculation that David Beckham will be knighted in the near future.

The banquet was the dazzling culmination of a day of pomp and pageantry, honouring the Emir and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher – who landed at London’s Stansted airport yesterday.

The palace ballroom was decorated with a riot of seasonal flowers and foliage in red, reflecting the Qatari flag, arranged in silver-gilt centrepieces taken from the Grand Service from Windsor Home Park and the Orchard Garden at the glasshouses in Windsor.

The flowers are donated the next day to hospices, care home and shelters through Floral Angels, a charity of which Queen Camilla is patron.

Other senior royals present included Prince Anne, who was seated on the top table with the King, Queen and Prince of Wales, as well as the Qatari dignitaries.

The Duke and Duchesses of Edinburgh and Gloucester were also present.